This invention relates generally to implantable penile prostheses and more particularly to implantable, self-actuated penile prostheses.
Various penile implants have been disclosed in the patent literature and are commercially available for curing erectile impotence. Such devices basically comprise a pair of cylinders each of which adapted to be implanted in a respective corpus cavernosum of the penis. Each cylinder includes a hollow portion arranged to be pressurized by the pumping of a liquid therein. When the cylinder portions are pressurized the penis assumes an erect, rigid state. The liquid used to inflate the cylinders is provided via respective tubes from a liquid supply reservoir. A pump and a reversible, one-way valve, are also included in the prosthesis and are typically arranged to be implanted in the scrotum and/or the abdomen. The pump and valve enable the liquid to be carried from the reservoir into the cylinder to cause the erection when the valve is in a first setting. In order to render the penis flaccid the valve is arranged to be actuated to enable the liquid to pass through it in the opposite direction so that operation of the pump carries the liquid back into the reservoir.
Examples of penile implants utilizing the foregoing technology are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,954,102 (Buuck), 4,009,711 (Uson), 4,267,829 (Burton et al), and 4,342,308 (Trick). While the foregoing pump-type inflatable penile implants all operate on the same basic principle each of those devices include some different structural features, e.g., reinforcing or constraining materials surrounding the inflatable chamber, cylinders including rigid (solid) tip and tail portions, special actuating valves, etc., all in the interest of providing a device which will closely simulate a natural erection, is easy to operate, and which exhibits a long service life.
While the penile implants such as described above have proven suitable for their intended purposes, they nevertheless leave something to be desired from the standpoint of simplicity of construction and ease of operation. In this regard all of the above identified prior art implants require the use of not only the inflatable cylinders which are to be located within the penis, but also a control valve, pump and reservoir, all of which are implanted within the body remote from the penis. Moreover, operation of such remotely located pump-type penile implants requires the user to first manually operate the valve to its appropriate setting to enable flow from the reservoir to the cylinders and then to manually pump the liquid into cylinders to cause the penis to become erect for sexual intercourse. In order to render the penis flaccid the valve has to be manually returned to its initial position to enable the liquid to flow therethrough in the opposite direction so that operation of the pump carries the liquid from the cylinders back into the reservoir.
Another type of penile prosthesis has been disclosed in various patents. That alternative penile prosthesis constitutes a variation of the externally located pump-type device. In this regard the alternative type penile implant utilizes a pump and reservoir which are both located within the cylinder, with the pump in either the tip portion or an intermediate portion and with the reservoir located within the intermediate or rear portion. Thus the entire prosthesis is self-contained within the cylinder and does not require the use of remotely located reservoirs/valves/pumps. Operation of such a self contained type of penile prosthesis is effected by squeezing the portion of the cylinder containing the pump to operate it to cause liquid to flow from the reservoir into an inflatable chamber located at an intermediate point in the cylinder to cause the cylinder to become erect. While this type of penile implant offers the advantage of simplicity of construction over remotely located pump-type implants, it still leaves something to be desired from the standpoint of functionality and ease of operation. Examples of the self contained penile prosthesis are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,353,360 (Finney et al), 4,360,010 (Finney), 4,369,771 (Trick), and 4,399,811 (Finney et al).
Other types of prior art penile prostheses are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,378,792 (Finney) and 4,383,525 (Burton et al).